In business processes, transitions are everything

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In my consulting practice, one of my core areas of focus centers around improving business processes. I spend several days at a time working in a hands-on environment with organizations to help them clarify their processes, because I believe that little is more important for the health of their employees, their businesses, and society at large. If you don't get your processes right, everything else is bound to fall apart.

So, when you're going about fixing your business processes, what is the most important thing to look for? Well, I'm not sure if there is one thing more important than all others, but I can tell you one area that often gets overlooked: the hand-off. Just like a hand-off and football can cause a fumble that dramatically alters the tone of the game, a failed transition in the mortgage industry can send your organization into chaos. Never underestimate the importance of a smooth transition.

In my workshops, I like to diagram business processes as swimming lanes. Each department is working within its own lane but, at a certain point, the work is passed onto another lane. It's like a relay race. Each department's individual efficiency is important. But, if the delivery from one apartment to another doesn't go smoothly, it could unravel the entire race. So, remember, while each department may have its own lane, we're all in the same pool. For any organization to succeed, its individual parts must come together as a whole. And the point at which that actually happens is always during the transition. So, make your transitions count!